MHS senior places as semi-finalist in National Shakespeare Competition

MHS senior places as semi-finalist in National Shakespeare Competition

Posted on 05/04/2017

McMinnville High School’s Michael Martinoff placed as a semi-finalist this week in the 34th annual English-Speaking Union (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition in New York City. He won the trip to the national competition after winning the Oregon competition in February. The competition was held in the Mitzi Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center.

More than 20,000 high school students nationwide participated in the 2017 ESU National Shakespeare Competition at the local, regional and national levels. The competition is a school-based program designed to help students develop their speaking and critical thinking skills and their appreciation of literature as they explore the beauty of the language and timeless themes in Shakespeare’s works.

In three progressive competition levels, students memorize, interpret and perform monologues and sonnets in their own schools, at ESU Branch-sponsored community competitions and at the ESU National Shakespeare Competition.

The ESU provided the competitors with two days of educational and cultural activities in New York City, including an exclusive acting workshop by the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University faculty.

Founded in 1920, the English-Speaking Union is a nonprofit, nonpolitical organization that promotes English as a shared language to foster global understanding and good will by providing educational and cultural opportunities for students and educators.